Essentials for human survival such as food, water and an atmosphere must all be provided for the people of Terra Nova. Without these basic necessities of life, humans could not exist in space for very long. Yet, even if all these things are provided for the people, there is the outside chance of a disaster occurring, and contingency plans for emergencies must also be considered.
Life Support
For a human to survive in an alien world, food to eat, water to drink, and an atmosphere to breath must all be provided.
Diets for humans with reasonable stress and workloads should consist of about 3000 calories a day. A human has to take in 2-3kg of water, and 0.5kg of food (which must include carbohydrates, fat, proteins, minerals, and vitamins) each day. Also, about 3.6kg of water is needed for washing. However, food and water are not available in the empty regions of space, so they must come from somewhere first.
Most of the oxygen and some of the hydrogen needed to make water for the colonists would come from the Moon and asteroids. The rest of the hydrogen would have to be shipped from the Earth. This water could be used for human consumption, washing and sanitation. It could also provide ponds for fish, plants and human recreation. The plants on Terra Nova would almost all be grown hydroponically, so water would be an integral part of their growth and survival. Some of this water could be recycled for further use (see "Recycling"), but if it built up, some of the waste water would have to be flushed out of the system.
The food for the citizens of Terra Nova would be produced right on board. Since Terra Nova would be as much like home as possible, the food eaten by the colonists should be very much like food on Earth: nutritious, attractive, and reflective of the tastes and cultures of the people. Terra Nova's two outer rings would be devoted mostly to agriculture, especially crop production. The two top floors in the outer rings could make enough food to supply the entire colony. It is my prediction that the environment there, which would include only a half-gee of gravity and continuous sunshine reflected in by mirrors, would cause the crop yields to increase many times more than that on Earth. Research from NASA has shown that plants germinated in zero-gravity grow better when introduced to gravity than plants grown on Earth. The main crops in Terra Nova should include some fast-growing yet nutritious crops like corn, some grain crops for bread like wheat, and some feed crops for livestock. The livestock on Terra Nova would consist mainly of small creatures that take up little space, eat small amounts of food, but make nourishing food themselves. Such animals could include fish for meat, chickens for eggs and meat, other fowl for meat, and some goats for milk. Other types of livestock may be needed, but large animals like cows would take up too much room and would have to be left home on Earth. The livestock on Terra Nova would reside in the four park areas in the inner ring. This way the colonists could interact with them, and the animals would not have to be subjected to the continual exposure to a half gee of gravity.
Humans also need an atmosphere of acceptable composition and pressure to survive. Most humans need about 0.82kg of oxygen a day to breath, and enough air pressure under which to breath it. The air pressure must be high enough to fill our lungs with air, but low enough to stop blood cell loss and changes in amounts of micro-organisms.
This air pressure under which human life can be supported is much lower than the air pressure on Earth. The air pressure on Earth is usually around 100kPa, but on Terra Nova it would be around 50kPa. The atmosphere would consist of a mix of gases, about 22.7kPa being enough to sustain the needed amount of oxygen. However, humans can tolerate a variation of 9kPa in either direction from that number. It would also be a good idea to include an inert gas in the atmosphere. It would prevent decomposition and provide a safety margin in case the oxygen pressure dropped. The most reasonable inert gas to use would be nitrogen. It is already abundant on Earth, and some plants need it for survival. Some bacteria could release nitrogen into the atmosphere, and some plants can fix nitrogen, so its level and pressure at 26.7kPa could be biologically maintained. The last gas that should be included in Terra Nova's atmosphere would be carbon dioxide. It is needed for photosynthesis, and its pressure should be about 0.4kPa. Because most of the carbon dioxide would be produced in the inner ring, and most of the oxygen would be produced in the outer rings, pipes running along the spokes of the rings would constantly move the air around, from the inner to the outer rings, and vice versa, to keep a breathable atmosphere. However, every year or so, the entire colony might still need a flushing to remove waste gases and replenish needed gases. Hydrogen could also be used to recover carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When it is mixed with carbon dioxide, methane and water are formed. The methane could be vented into space, and the water could be used again.
Unlike Earth, Terra Nova would know no seasons, unless the colonists wanted it that way. The temperature in Terra Nova would be an average of 22 C, with a humidity of 40%.
Emergency Criteria
In the rare case that a disaster or life threatening emergency might occur on Terra Nova, safety precautions should be taken beforehand to minimize the effects of any crisis that might happen.
The chance that the hull of Terra Nova could be ruptured and leak its atmosphere into the cosmos is very slim, but safety measures should still be taken. Most small holes could be repaired in the time period of a year before they would begin to cause damage to the atmosphere inside, but if a larger hole was made, that could cause some problems. Each person should be designated a space suit to wear in such emergencies. Emergency evacuation procedures should also be well known to the colonists. The affected ring could be evacuated and sealed off until it could be repaired; that is the beauty of Terra Nova's three ring redundance. If, however, the entire colony must be evacuated for a flushing of wastes, or an emergency situation, other procedures must be taken.
Many old external fuel tanks from Earth shuttles could be bound together, fitted for temporary life support, and placed in orbit around Terra Nova. This would be the refuge for the displaced colonists in situations where Terra Nova must be completely evacuated. Colonists could take a short space ride there in one of Terra Nova's transportation pods found at the central hub, until all the colonists are off the colony. There they could wait to go back to their homes after the colony had been flushed, or wait for rescue if a disaster occurred. Using external fuel tanks for emergency homes would be a good way to recycle these tanks, while at the same time giving them a life saving use.
Often overlooked, but equally important to human beings' well being, is their mental health. The simple psychological needs of the colonists must be met or nothing could be accomplished on Terra Nova. Without this, many of her people would become stressed out, and mentally unbalanced. Having open spaces, private places, a sensation of gravity and earth-like surroundings are just as important to human survival as food, water, and air.
Artificial Gravity
This human need could have been put under physiological needs because of the effects zero-gravity exposure has on humans, but I felt it also plays an important role in human emotional health.
Many health problems have been associated with long term exposure to zero- gravity. Bone mass and density diminishes, and this causes osteoporosis. Also, hormone imbalances occur, and muscle mass decreases. Readapting to a full gee of gravity is also hard for those who have been in space for a while. Their heart rate increases; they have blood and muscle problems; and their blood tends to pool in the legs instead of being properly circulated. The effects of raising children in zero-gee environments is not known, but it is possible that those children could never visit their home planet because of its crushing gravity. The effects of living for long periods of time are not yet well understood, nor are the effects of fetal development in space, but studies tend to show living for a long time in zero-gravity conditions can be harmful to both our physical and mental health.
We, as a species, have grown up having a full gee of gravity exerted on us. Living in zero-gee is an alien concept. Terra Nova is supposed to be as Earth-like as possible, so that would include having gravity. People are used to working and living in environments with gravity, and with the help of a rotating habitat, space can seem just as Earth-like as Earth.
The most workable way to generate gravity in the zero-gee regions of space is to have a rotating environment in which to live. The centrifugal and Coriolis forces work together to make artificial gravity in a rotating environment. The centrifugal force acts on things when they are at rest. In a rotating torus like Terra Nova, the people are like water in a bucket. If a bucket of water is swung in a circle fast enough, it will not spill out. That is because the water is trying to continue in a straight line, but can't, so it pushes against the bucket that is pulling it in a circle. That is what would happen to the citizens of Terra Nova when they are at rest. When they move, another force, the Coriolis force, is acting upon them to induce gravity. The Coriolis force causes them to feel gravity when they move, but also to lean off to one side. Fortunately, in environments with low rotation rates like Terra Nova, the leaning effects of the Coriolis force are not very noticeable.
Terra Nova would rotate once every 63 seconds. That way, at the edges, there would be a full gee of gravity. (Toruses with a radius of 1000m must rotate once every 63 seconds to produce 1 g of gravity) Also, none of the colonists would have to worry about getting motion sickness from being rotated too quickly. Studies have indicated that while the average person can tolerate 2-3 revolutions per minute, some people can only stand 1 revolution per minute. So, if Terra Nova had a rotation rate of approximately 1 rpm, general populations could live there without constantly needing medical attention.
With the production of artificial gravity, the colonists of Terra Nova would feel like they are at home; they would have a full gee of gravity without motion sickness. Feeling at home is an important part of human mental health.
Open Space
In general, the human spirit likes the sensation of openness. We need to have open spaces where we can "breath" again, after being confined inside for a good part of the day. Also important to the human psychological self are long horizons, and natural objects. With these, Terra Nova would seem more like home to the colonists.
The open, natural spaces in Terra Nova would consist of 4 parks, and many sets of windows. The parks will be 500m long, and take up the entire part of the torus for those 500m, making them 100m high and 100m across at their widest. They will be located 45 from the hub, between the living areas and transportation centres. (See Figure 4)
There will be a long window over top of the parks, and two in the middle of the park walls, filled with sunshine during the day (with the help of mirrors), and filled with starlight at night. What is actually in the parks would be up to the colonists, although some areas of them would have to be devoted to agriculture and livestock living areas. However, some of these areas can serve double purposes. The pond that will hold the fish for the colonists could also be a recreational swimming area, and the chicken coops and goat pens could be used as a petting zoo for the younger colonists. Some other ideas for use of the parks are a wild field filled with flowers, a playing field for games of football, soccer, or baseball, a forested area filled with large trees, or a playground for children. Running the entire length of the inner ring of Terra Nova at her lowest floor would be a walking/jogging/biking path, that will connect the four parks together.
The parks would be accessible by two glass elevators at either end of the park. They could be reached at any level of the colony. If you just felt like relaxing and not actually going down to the park, you could sit in one of the observation areas at the same level as every elevator. These areas would be glassed in, or constructed like a balcony to look out over the park.
The top level of Terra Nova would also be used for observation purposes. The entire ceiling of the floor would be glass, and allow colonists to sit and marvel at the wonders of space, or check out what was happening at the hub of Terra Nova. The colonists of Terra Nova would be living in space, so they might as well enjoy its beauty. These observations decks would run the full length of Terra Nova, except for the park areas. The area would stop where the park begins, and begin where the park ends.
Colonists who live on floors 15-25 (Terra Nova would have 29 floors altogether, each about 3m high) would also have access to windows in their homes. I believe it is important for human beings to have a feeling of freedom, with natural environments to look out on, and having windows in their homes would give them that. It would also give them access to natural sunlight. That is why most of the living areas for humans would be on these 10 floors.
Living Conditions
The citizens of Terra Nova must have living conditions like those on Earth. That would include housing areas, commercial districts, hospitals, schools, community centres, and private areas.
The housing for humans on board Terra Nova must provide for the human nature of the citizens who live there. That is why the inside would be left unfinished, and the interior design be left to the people who would live there. There would be four different types of housing or apartments. Housing for one person would be 50mē; housing for two people would be 100mē; housing for three people would be 150mē; and housing for four people would be 200mē. (The average person needs about 50mē of living room) Otherwise, the design and decoration of these living units would be up to its inhabitants.
Terra Nova would also need community services. This would include small shops, banks, restaurants, and theatres all run by the colonists. There would also be other community organizations on board. These would include the police and fire departments, hospitals, post offices, community halls, city hall, churches, libraries, and schools. Anything that humans need on Earth would be provided for them on Terra Nova.
Humans also need areas where they can relax and be alone. I have already mentioned some areas where the citizens of Terra Nova can do that. The observation areas, parks, jogging path, and their own homes could provide that needed space.
Terra Nova would not be a huge metropolis. Her population would be only 10,000, so it is my hope that the colonists on board would become a close community of individuals who would be able to interact and exist together while still being individuals and having their own breathing space.
The people of Terra Nova should be allowed to make up their own constitution and government, since they are the ones who would be living there, and dealing with day to day life. They could use the constitutions of Earth countries as a guide for their own constitution, and add things that would apply specifically to them. (e.g. The effects of living in space, products of the colony, the effects of different cultures living together, etc.)
I think the best type of government for Terra Nova would be one similar to a municipal or local government. There could be a mayor who is advised by several councillors. The mayor would be appointed on Earth by an international committee, and approved by the colonists. He would have to have adequate knowledge of the technical aspects of Terra Nova, leadership, and people skills, much like the captain of a ship. He would have twelve councillors, half appointed and approved, the other half elected. The six elected councillors would be there to specifically voice the people's concerns. There would be other managers to oversee operations like agriculture, electrical systems, operations, safety, immigration, transportation, communications, hospitals, schools, etc. All people in power on Terra Nova would be required to live there, so they would know what it is like, and would therefore be better able to make decisions about running her.
The mayor of Terra Nova would not be given complete control over the colony, for fear of tyranny, nor would he/she be entirely accountable to Earth and its governments. A special international committee would be formed on Earth to advise and caution the mayor. That way, the people living in Terra Nova would receive enough control to run the colony the way they want, but not so much control as to start a dictatorship.
One purpose of space colonies could be to try out and experiment with new forms of government. Right now on Earth, people do not have any new frontiers to escape to, no political choices. Terra Nova could give people that choice. The colonists there could build a government based on the lessons learned on Earth. They could form a better, more responsible, and more workable government.
Commodities in space are very expensive and hard to come by. Such elements as hydrogen and nitrogen are difficult to acquire in space, and would have to be shipped to Terra Nova at high costs. Therefore, it is necessary that all materials on board be recycled. That way, many things could be used over and over again without the need for imported goods.
Wastes/Symbiotic Relationship
Terra Nova would operate using a CELSS system. That stands for a "Controlled Ecological Life-Support System." (see Figure 5)
Terra Nova's biosphere would have to be "biogenerative" to work for any period of time. That means other living things would help to recycle wastes and provide humans with their essential needs - mainly, an atmosphere and food.
Green plants and algae (that will be located in Terra Nova's ponds) would generate both oxygen and food, while at the same time being used to purify waste water. In the type of closed system Terra Nova would be operating under, photosynthesis is a key process. Plants as well as humans benefit from a setup like this. The carbon dioxide we expel is an essential part of photosynthesis, the way plants make food for themselves.
Another way for the colonists to recycle carbon dioxide in their atmosphere would be to mix it with hydrogen. This creates methane and water. Water could also be obtained from dehumidifiers, urine, and other waste water supplies in Terra Nova's plumbing. Filters and membrane technology could purify the water so it could be used again and again.
Human wastes, animal wastes, and any other wastes could be used again as fertilizer for plants. It could be added to the liquid, soilless solution that the plants will grow in. Growing plants without the use of soil (it would be impractical to import soil from Earth) is called hydroponics.
Having a symbiotic relationship between plants and humans in a closed biosphere is very important. Tight controls would be needed to regulate all the environmental factors within Terra Nova.
All other wastes and garbage (e.g. metal) would also need to be recycled. Every piece of waste on Terra Nova would need to be broken down into its component parts using electrophoresis. Then, the elements could be used again to make new water, air, and building materials. Nothing would go to waste.
Recycling all wastes on board Terra Nova would solve two problems. First, there would no longer be a need for a large garbage dump on board, only a small one for short term storage. Second, fewer materials would have to be imported from Earth and the Moon as many items would simply be reused.
Recycling would not solve all the waste problems the colonists might face. New products would still need to be imported, and some wastes would also need to be flushed from the system every once in a while. However, by using a CELSS system and breaking down all wastes to their elemental parts, these problems would be greatly reduced.
